Monday, 17 April 2017

A Springtime Sephora Haul

Hi, everyone! I know that there's a Sephora sale upcoming later this month, but my wishlist had grown so large and tantalizing in March that I could not help but snag a few goodies! Sephora has welcomed some new, exciting brands of late (like Milk Makeup and IGK) and some of my fave brands (like the ever-fabulous Bite Beauty) have released some great new products, so there was plenty to choose from.

Here's a peek at everything I picked up:

Bite Beauty Prismatic Pearl Creme Lip Gloss in Oyster Pearl ($25 CAD)

Metallic finishes are everywhere nowadays and when Bite Beauty does metallic, it's time to take notice. These new glosses are inspired by the real multi-faceted pearls found on tropical beaches. They promise a foiled finish and a hydrating formula thanks to shea butter. I opted for Oyster Pearl, which is a wonderfully unique shade. Bite describes it as a "metallic taupe with silver shimmer", but I find it to be even more multi-dimensional than that. I'd call it a warm, plummy taupe with silver, green, and plum shimmer. It's so gorgeous and surprisingly wearable and versatile!

IGK Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel ($17 for 50mL trial size)

Whenever I get my haircut shorter my interest in hair styling products is always renewed. With a long bob, I'm motivated to harness my hair's volume and waves while adding a bit of messy texture. Because hair isn't my forte, I asked a helpful sales associate for recommendations and she pointed me towards IGK's Rich Kid. She promised it would encourage waves and texture while also hydrating the hair. And she was right! I use this as a final product before air drying or blow drying and it gives my hair lightweight, airy texture without any frizz. And it's super hydrating too. Definitely curious to try more from the brand.

Bite Beauty The Lip Pencil in no.14 ($20 CAD)

Given that I'm generally smitten with Bite, it was no surprise that their recent lip liner launch caught my attention. These pencil liners promise a creamy, yet precise texture with an opaque finish that's also lightweight. The range offers an impressive selection of neutrals, each inspired by the spectrum of natural lip tones. As I had recently purchased a warmer-toned neutral lip liner from Lipstick Queen, I opted for a cooler-toned shade this time around. I chose no.14, which Bite describes as a "dusty mauve". I find it to be just that- a cool-toned light- to mid-tone mauve that really is a perfect "my lips but better" shade for me. I agree that the texture is wonderfully smooth and creamy, but the wear time and precision are also on-point. Will definitely be grabbing more shades from this collection!

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel ($29 CAD)

This is an eternal repurchase for me- I love this stuff! The gel-cream formula promises to add control and shape while also plumping up the appearance of brows. I use it as a final step in my brow routine and it's wonderful at grooming and adding a touch of multidimensional colour that prevents the brows from looking too flat. Caramel adds a bit of warmth to my brows without looking at all orange and it really wears all day without any flakiness or dryness!

Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Supernova ($34 CAD)

Milk Makeup is a brand I'd been curious about for a while, as it's cruelty-free and wonderfully playful. So when the line arrived in-store last month, I was jazzed! There were several tempting options to choose from and I ended up with an ultra special highlighter- the Holographic Stick in Supernova. It's a cream-based stick highlighter that claims to contain real meteorite powder for an ultra-pigmented, ethereal sheen. Supernova is a killer opal hue with tinges of purple, blue, pink, and silver. I am still trying to find the best mode of application to make the most of it, but boy the shade is stunning and the wear time is impressive, especially given the cream base.

Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray ($32 CAD)

As I mentioned above, whenever I get my hair cut shorter, I want to buy all the styling products. All of them! Ouai is an ultra trendy brand at the moment and I was drawn to their Texturizing Hair Spray because it promises to be a modern hybrid of hair spray and texturizing spray that offers hold, grit, and volume while remaining lightweight. I have to say that I really love this! It does just as promised- it refreshes the hair, helps my hair hold its waves, and gives a great amount of volume and subtle grit for the softly messy look that I love.

I also had some VIB Points built up, so I topped off my haul with a couple fun minis. I chose the Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay, as I'd heard nothing but raves for it, especially for combination skin like mine and I've generally had great experiences with Origins masks. I also snagged a little Sunday Riley Good Genes, a cult-status leave-on exfoliating treatment. I've sampled it in the past with mixed results, so I thought I'd give it one final try so I can settle my opinion.